Hello... and oh dear!

Unless you really want a particular sort of venue and a full sit down meal there is no reason why the venue needs to be an expensive one.Would you have a RO ceremony? then... What about afternoon tea style food then a hog roast buffet around 7pm?? you could do this in village hall for examples which isn't as expensive as other venues. other than that shop around and haggle !! ?

Oh and midweek weddings are normally at a lower rate if this is something you would be ok with.

Hi Amber ?

Lots of the ladies on here have great ideas for venues on a budget. Hog roasts seem to be popular and quite a few have a later ceremony now, going straight to a buffet for all guests (no day/evening seperation)?

Mine is quite reasonable. £25 per head 4 courses and welcome and toast drink. Down south I know this would probably be impossible to find though?

Hello, welcome and congrats ?

There are ways of keeping the costs down, theres loads of tips round here for that so get stuck in!!

When you get a date set do add it to our 2013 list (in my sig) and also feel free to join our fb group (also in sig).

Hiya, Where abouts are you. We are in Ashford and getting married just outside Canterbury. Our budget is £8000 and think we're gonna come in just under. Its just a case of really shopping around and thinking outside the box. We have about 75 for the day and 140 for the evening and are having a 3 course sit down for day and a buffet for evening.

Rachel xx

Thank you all for the lovely welcome.

Well, the venue... I honestly dont mind where, by my H2B would love somewhere quite stunning, which is a nice wish I think. We have found a couple of venues, one in particular made me say "Wow" when I walked into the room, but it comes with quite a price tag. Midweek weddings would only really work for us in School Holidays, and then that would be August etc. so thats high season I guess? I think H2B would quite like a traditional sit down meal, but we are yet to discuss specifics

Hi Rachel - I am based in Greenhithe, Kent (near Bluewater... fantastic I know!). Wow, thats a great budget, I cant seem to get our draft one under £10k, and that is stretching it a bit, can I ask where abouts you are getting married?

Thanks again all xx

Hiya!

I haven't read everyone else's comments, but in regards to your venue worries...

I found the exact same thing, I'm from South East also and found everything really expensive.

Originally we looked at a hotel - £5000, so that was a no

Then we looked at a barn - £3500, still not happy

So I decided to look at venues the government can offer, and village halls. I know what you're thinking - Village Halls! Old decor! NOO! But theres some gorgeous ones out there. We've found a few village halls and community centres which are plain decor and new builds. And the one we've found you can hire for the whole weekend with the kitchen appliances, dinning equipment, sound system etc. all for £900.

So I'd really encourage you to look around properly.

I did a search from the church to anywhere within an hours drive, and found some good possibilities.

And just remember, Muslin is a good way of covering those horrible looking venues!

xx

You can get good last minute deals too. We booked for August in Feb, we got:

Drinks on arrival for all guests

3 course meal for 60 guests

Ceremony room hire

DJ

table and Chair covers

Bridal suite for the night

2 Junior suites for the night

...I think thats it, there may have been more lol

all for £5000 at taplow House

To rent our room for the day was £100,

the deposit is £500

Food is around £25 per head

buffet is around £12 per head

table cloths and seat covers are free...
we've got quite a good deal in my opinion x

Wow, they are both great deals. Im looking at £2,500 room hire (including cuttlerey etc. for the meal/table linen and a staffed bar), then food which is working out £36 p/p and drinks which are £14.50 p/p. Its so much.

Hello & welcome

Im orginally from Kent too (Maidstone) you have loads of lovely venue options in the kent area so I am sure you can find something within budget....

Just be warned going the DIY route does not always make things cheaper so shop around.

Good luck and happy planning!

Good luck

Hiya. we're getting married in Chilham Village Hall (see pics below). We are also having the receprtion there.

Think it's just over £1000 for the hire. Ae it is just the venue and they are not tied in with any caterers like many are we have been able to really shop around. We have managed to get a 3 course sit down meal for 75 people (all cutlery, glasses, linen, waitressing etc included), bucks fizz on arrival and an evening buffet for 140 for just over £2000.

We are buying the table wine ourselves as we do not have to pay corkage and have an outside bar coming in for the evening which is free as long as we have over 70 people. It has been harder work then if we did it another way but I feel we are getting much more for out money.

Now... that is odd... I just googled village halls in Kent and that one came up and looks beautiful!! And the cost is brilliant, especially your catering costs, amazing is all I can say ?

I wouldnt be able to haggle with people, Im terrible and I cave so easily... you have done amazingly!

I cant stop looking at the photos of that venue either! Beautiful.

x

Advice: Sit down with your oh and calculate roughly how much you can gather in a year. After that set a date and stick to it. This is important dont keep changing your mind about dates. Then look into booking venues and photographer as there is limmited availability and you have to book 12-18 months before. Have you thought of going a bit further to do your wedding rather than locally? Be open minded and you will find cheaper places. Or be creative! Places where u would never consider as a venue could be transformed!!! Good luck! Keep us updated!xxx

Hiya,

I live in Northfleet so just up the road from you. We struggled with finding a cheapish place for a while, all I can say is go and look at the venues, we looked at the Inn on the Lake, Knowle Country house(is amazing but about 6 grand i think) Fleet leisure centre in Northfleet, however now were getting married in Northfleet and driving to the Boathouse at Danson Park, can be cheap can be expensive) How about the David Lloyd Centre in dartford, or Dartford football ground? All close enough to drive to and can still get married in Greenhithe (if thats what you intend)

Weve done ours within 10k, but started buying a lot of stuff like 18 months ago.

xxxx

A couple of months ago I did a quick sort of add up in a spreadsheet. I followed a pre-laid out list, and worked it out accordingly to how many guests/bridesmaids/etc we'd be having. I almost died - honestly. It came it at around £16,000. So from that moment, we decided we'd get married on a beach in Florida, we're both absolutely delighted with our decision, and we think it'll come in and under 6000 pounds, including honeymoon! It'll be much more relaxed, i can't deal with all the stress that comes with weddings!

Thank you again, its lovely to have so much good advice.

Further afield isnt a problem really, but most of my family are old and wont travel far, and so it needs to be within an hour of where we live really.

I have been looking at local and not so local places, I think I just have expensive taste lol

soontobehismrs - Aww thats lovely, wish I could go abroad but I doubt my family would cope with that, and H2B has 2 children from a previous relationship, we struggle to be able to have them at weekends, let alone abroad somewhere ☹️

What do people think about not having a sit down meal? Maybe having a later wedding, with some canapes with drinks and then a buffet in the evening? Is that worth doing, or a bit silly?

x

Nothing is silly! You should do what you want as long as your pocket is comfortable with it lol I don't see why it would be silly! You are marrying the man you love and you are providing food for the guests! And it is not expensive to hire a dj for a few hours either, so there you go! Or for even cheaper, I am a singer, have a look at my website and maybe I could help you with your entertainment as well? vickyscrase.co.uk

Seaweed - pretty sure you have just broken Hitched rules.

?

Hi Amber I am in Dartford. I got married in Danson House and had the reception in the boathouse. It was perfect for us. You will find something. Best of luck!

Nothing is stupid Amber, honestly, it's your day. I've sort of deliberatly gone for far fetched, but that's just how we are. I want something different, i think i'd have a nervous breakdown with all the stress of having a wedding at home. A lot of people don't have a sit down meal, when we were looking for food idea's over here, i was gonna do sort of a buffet/bbq and it worked out at about 15 pounds a head, but it was a 3 course meal. Other people have the cake as a dessert, so again that cuts down the costs of meals. Just sit down with your o/h and write down your options, one will appeal to you more!

Ah a venue Twin. Ive got 4 months till I have my reception at the boathouse and I cant wait! When did you get married Rod?

I must say Amber, I fell in love with the boathouse as soon as i walked in there! xx

Thats the thing, I love one venue in particular, but it hasnt got any rooms to stay overnight (there is a hotel about a 3 min walk away) and the hire is £2300 alone, add in the nearly £5k for a sit down meal/drinks/evening buffet... its just rediculous. I didnt really want to spend anywhere near that on a venue.

☹️

Plus we are trying to save up as much as we can before we even think about booking anywhere (H2B is worried that it will come to 3 months before and we wont have enough £, so he has said we need at least 1/2 saved before we set a date)

Wish I could find a wonderful venue, that cost less than £5k

x

I was just about to suggest Chilham hall! I love love love that venue. We were originally having our wedding there but due to one thing and another it has changed and we're now getting married in Wales. Still love the venue though and would highly recommend it!

This is lovely!! Can't believe it is a village hall it looks amazing!!

S x

Good luck finding somewhere - I'm getting married in Kent and it's tough finding somewhere not too expensive. I did look at High Rocks near Tunbridge Wells which was lovely, really nice setting and not too expensive (can't remember hire charges, but meal/drinks started at £39pp).

One thing to bear in mind is that if you're not getting married in a church registrars' fees in Kent are extortionate - over £600 to have it in an approved venue. That's partly why our ceremony is in Bromley - only £200!

I'm in belvedere so quite near you.

Im getting married on a thursday on 20th June 2013 as I found the weekend prices far to expensive in this area. its double for a saturday at our venue!!!!!. It is Cooling Castle Barn near Rochester in and it is beautiful. For 4,800 we have the following (excuse the copy and paste jobby!)

On your Wedding Day

• A celebratory drink to be served after the ceremony as a pre dinner aperitif.
• Individual meal selection for each guest from a menu handpicked by the Bride & Groom (2 starters, 3 main and 2 deserts).
• Half a bottle of house wine per person to be served during dinner
• A glass of sparkling wine to be served during the speeches
• A delicious evening buffet ( there is loads of choice including a BBQ or Hog Roast)
• Excellent resident DJ
• A Duty Manager who will be available to you at all times during the day and evening
• A vase of seasonal flowers for each table
• A two tier wedding cake.

which i don't think is a bad price really although not as cheap as some.

This is for exclusive use. it also has 15 rooms for guests to stay.

Im sure it says you can also have a later ceremony and go straight to the evening bit to keep costs down if you wanted. Might be worth having a look at

Sorry forgot to the the the above is for 30 days guests (minimum number) and up to 150 for the evening. It is 56.50 a head for additional adults for the sit down and 25.00 for kids. I guess this is where the extra costs come from but we are only having close family and friends (about 35) for the day so for us its ok.

Good Luck in finding your venue!

Thanks, a few people have turned their nose up when we have said we're getting married in a Village Hall but its really not what you would expect

Rach xx